Christmas! ON SALE NOW!!!
Yep. That's right. This blog will relate to Christmas in some way. This is the second Christmas that I have blogged (I've had this blog for almost 2 years).
I started thinking about Christmas a few weeks ago, when I decided to do a little Christmas shopping this year. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, which is this Sunday, I have been overwhelmed by all the attention this particular holiday is getting. This is not only from my friends or church group. The vast majority of this attention comes from the commercial world. Whenever I'm not at home or at school (now that I'm on holidays it's more home than school), it seems everywhere I look there's advertising everywhere telling you to buy buy buy. This year, get her the perfect gift; buy her one of our diamonds. or Some people say 'if you want to give a gift from the heart you should make it yourself', which is true until you try to make a 20 inch wide screen plasma super duper HDTV screen. It's an advertising overload now. This is the season where the stores make the most money, and what better way to say I love you than buying your sweetheart a big screen television? Now, I'm not saying that you should stop buying gifts right this instant and cancel all your Christmas lists. Don't get me wrong; gifts are very nice to receive and give. But in the grand scheme of things, they aren't really that important.
Yes, I've bought gifts for those I love, and cards for my family and friends. And I'm sure they will enjoy the gifts I'm sure. However, a month from now, everyone will be back to work and these gifts, if they are actual objects, will be placed somewhere depending on what they are and the recipient will have other things to focus on. Your gift will be appreciated and not be forgotten, but it will not be the gift that they will remember for a long time; it will be that you gave them one and that you thought about them this season. The commercialization of Christmas has become such that I think many people have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.
Not only has it become too commercialized, but I think Christmas has become somewhat of a taboo subject to mention among government authorities. While finishing up some errands today, I noticed that the bus LED signs, which normally display their route number and nodal destination also included a salutation to pedestrians. It said, "Season's Greetings" while cycling between that and their route number and nodal destination. While I found nothing particularily wrong with this, it got me thinking about what might other ideas have been suggested to go on it for the salutation before they arrived at "Season's Greetings", if anything. Normally, I wouldn't make such a ponderance, but this salutation seems too neutral (is possible) to be a arbitrarily assigned.
"Nobody should ever go to a church service simply because they've always gone and have been going for years, nor should they go only to see friends and be in a comfortable setting on a Sunday morning." - Anonymous
My sister recently told me she was invited to a sweat, which took place on a Native Canadian reserve. This is a rite performed by the natives in which they seal themselves in a tent/dome and use burning embers to heat the room. Since the room is sealed and well insulated, the temperature inside gets extremely warm, to the point where the occupants are sweating profusely. While this is happening, the occupants pray to the Maker, saying their troubles out loud and asking for help or comfort among other things (I'm not sure exactly). Since it's very dark inside, they can't see very much, making it easier to focus. Also, since the intense heat may divert some of their focus away, some people carry drums or shakers, or any type of noisemaker to help them keep focused.
A while ago I was asked why I attend church services on a regular basis. It took me a while to respond to it because I didn't know how to. I had to sit and really think about why I did. That got me thinking about not only that, but all aspects of the Christian life. Why do I go to church services? Why do I sit quietly in the pew and listen to the sermons as well as stand and sing the songs that are sung? Why do I pray for meals and people? Is it because I see other people doing it and don't want to feel left out?
I go to church on a regular basis because I choose to and wish to hear what message our pastor has to say. Often I will ponder what he's said throughout the week. Other times I will ponder it for weeks at a time; I'm still thinking upon it as I write this. I have no problem going to church and staying there when none of my friends are there. I've done it before and will do it again; I'm not there to see them, while it's nice to see them there. Often it's the only time of fellowship I spend with them each week.
Another topic I was gonna blog about gossip, which was actually my very first blog post (which predates blogs itself as I wrote it many moons ago before blogging was introduced), but instead I will leave you with this story:
The story is told of a small village in Eastern Europe. One of the men in the community had a dislike for leading man. He made it a practice to slander the wise man at every opportunity. Eventually, he had a change in heart. Feeling guilty at his lies and misrepresentations, the man presented himself to the wise man, admitted his error, and asked for forgiveness. The wise man considered the request for a moment and told the man to first go to the top of the highest hill and while there cut open a feather pillow and scatter its contents. “When you have done that,” he said, “return to me.” The penitent man did as he was told and returned to the wise man. “I’ve done as you asked,” said the former slanderer, “Am I now forgiven?” “Almost,” replied the wise man. “I only ask one more thing of you. Go and gather all the feathers up again.” “But that’s impossible,” cried the man. “They’ve been blown to the four corners of the earth!” “Yes,” said the wise man, “and so it is impossible to undo the damage you have done with your words, which never can be retrieved.
I started thinking about Christmas a few weeks ago, when I decided to do a little Christmas shopping this year. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, which is this Sunday, I have been overwhelmed by all the attention this particular holiday is getting. This is not only from my friends or church group. The vast majority of this attention comes from the commercial world. Whenever I'm not at home or at school (now that I'm on holidays it's more home than school), it seems everywhere I look there's advertising everywhere telling you to buy buy buy. This year, get her the perfect gift; buy her one of our diamonds. or Some people say 'if you want to give a gift from the heart you should make it yourself', which is true until you try to make a 20 inch wide screen plasma super duper HDTV screen. It's an advertising overload now. This is the season where the stores make the most money, and what better way to say I love you than buying your sweetheart a big screen television? Now, I'm not saying that you should stop buying gifts right this instant and cancel all your Christmas lists. Don't get me wrong; gifts are very nice to receive and give. But in the grand scheme of things, they aren't really that important.
Yes, I've bought gifts for those I love, and cards for my family and friends. And I'm sure they will enjoy the gifts I'm sure. However, a month from now, everyone will be back to work and these gifts, if they are actual objects, will be placed somewhere depending on what they are and the recipient will have other things to focus on. Your gift will be appreciated and not be forgotten, but it will not be the gift that they will remember for a long time; it will be that you gave them one and that you thought about them this season. The commercialization of Christmas has become such that I think many people have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.
Not only has it become too commercialized, but I think Christmas has become somewhat of a taboo subject to mention among government authorities. While finishing up some errands today, I noticed that the bus LED signs, which normally display their route number and nodal destination also included a salutation to pedestrians. It said, "Season's Greetings" while cycling between that and their route number and nodal destination. While I found nothing particularily wrong with this, it got me thinking about what might other ideas have been suggested to go on it for the salutation before they arrived at "Season's Greetings", if anything. Normally, I wouldn't make such a ponderance, but this salutation seems too neutral (is possible) to be a arbitrarily assigned.
"Nobody should ever go to a church service simply because they've always gone and have been going for years, nor should they go only to see friends and be in a comfortable setting on a Sunday morning." - Anonymous
My sister recently told me she was invited to a sweat, which took place on a Native Canadian reserve. This is a rite performed by the natives in which they seal themselves in a tent/dome and use burning embers to heat the room. Since the room is sealed and well insulated, the temperature inside gets extremely warm, to the point where the occupants are sweating profusely. While this is happening, the occupants pray to the Maker, saying their troubles out loud and asking for help or comfort among other things (I'm not sure exactly). Since it's very dark inside, they can't see very much, making it easier to focus. Also, since the intense heat may divert some of their focus away, some people carry drums or shakers, or any type of noisemaker to help them keep focused.
A while ago I was asked why I attend church services on a regular basis. It took me a while to respond to it because I didn't know how to. I had to sit and really think about why I did. That got me thinking about not only that, but all aspects of the Christian life. Why do I go to church services? Why do I sit quietly in the pew and listen to the sermons as well as stand and sing the songs that are sung? Why do I pray for meals and people? Is it because I see other people doing it and don't want to feel left out?
I go to church on a regular basis because I choose to and wish to hear what message our pastor has to say. Often I will ponder what he's said throughout the week. Other times I will ponder it for weeks at a time; I'm still thinking upon it as I write this. I have no problem going to church and staying there when none of my friends are there. I've done it before and will do it again; I'm not there to see them, while it's nice to see them there. Often it's the only time of fellowship I spend with them each week.
Another topic I was gonna blog about gossip, which was actually my very first blog post (which predates blogs itself as I wrote it many moons ago before blogging was introduced), but instead I will leave you with this story:
The story is told of a small village in Eastern Europe. One of the men in the community had a dislike for leading man. He made it a practice to slander the wise man at every opportunity. Eventually, he had a change in heart. Feeling guilty at his lies and misrepresentations, the man presented himself to the wise man, admitted his error, and asked for forgiveness. The wise man considered the request for a moment and told the man to first go to the top of the highest hill and while there cut open a feather pillow and scatter its contents. “When you have done that,” he said, “return to me.” The penitent man did as he was told and returned to the wise man. “I’ve done as you asked,” said the former slanderer, “Am I now forgiven?” “Almost,” replied the wise man. “I only ask one more thing of you. Go and gather all the feathers up again.” “But that’s impossible,” cried the man. “They’ve been blown to the four corners of the earth!” “Yes,” said the wise man, “and so it is impossible to undo the damage you have done with your words, which never can be retrieved.
